Congratulations. The next 40 weeks (give or take) bring more change to your body and your life than any other period as an adult. Our job is to make those weeks as healthy, safe, and supported as possible, with a team of midwives, doctors, physiotherapists, and specialists working alongside you.
This section brings together everything you need: information about your care, advice for staying well, and clear guidance on when to contact us.
At University Hospital Galway, your care during pregnancy is shared between your GP, our community midwives, hospital midwives, and consultant obstetricians. Specialist services (dietitians, physiotherapists, diabetes nurses, anaesthetists) are involved when needed.
For most women with a low-risk pregnancy, the majority of visits are in the community, with hospital visits for two routine scans and key milestones. For women with higher-risk pregnancies, we provide consultant-led care with more frequent visits and additional monitoring.
You’ll meet your team early in pregnancy, at your booking visit, when your care plan is mapped out with you.
What happens at each stage of your pregnancy care: who you’ll see, what scans you’ll have, and the services available to you.
Practical advice on eating, moving, and managing the everyday aches and pains of pregnancy.
Knowing when to ring us. Clear guidance on the symptoms that matter, day or night.
Your first hospital visit (the booking visit) is usually around 12 to 14 weeks of pregnancy. It is the longest of your antenatal appointments, lasting around 1 hour, and it covers:
You will also be given information leaflets, the maternity unit phone number, and details of antenatal classes.
